In Vitro Studies on Methanogenic Rumen Bacteria

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Abstract
Stabilized cultures which produced methane from formic and acetic acids were obtained from rumen fluid. Cultures using butyric acid could be established only at 45[degree] C. All attempts to stabilize cultures on propionic acid were unsuccessful. Rumen cultures stabilized to formic or acetic acid produced methane at a temperature range of 15[degree] C to 45[degree] C. Cultures stabilized to both formic and acetic acid, preferentially and completely utilized the formic acid before acetic acid was fermented. Acetate fermenting cultures were inhibited by CO2, dyes, and penicillin, whereas, formate cultures were unaffected by these agents. The methane organism obtained in a highly purified state from formate stabilized rumen culture was tentatively identified as Methanobacterium formicicum. The methane bacteria obtained from rumen cultures stabilized on acetate physiologically resembled M. sohngenil, but differed in the morphological arrangement of individual cells.

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